The Vapors

 

The vapors : a southern family, the New York mob, and the rise and fall of Hot Springs, America's forgotten capital of vice / David Hill. 394 pgs.

I recently visited Hot Springs and it is a town that gives you the impression that it has seen better days.  Then I found this book that tells the tale of the earlier action.  Hot Springs was once a bigger gambling destination than Las Vegas. Never mind that gambling was illegal, it was out in the open and known by everyone in the state and even federal government.  In a sweep to get rid of the mafia influence, the gambling was shut down in the 60's.  This book shows there was a little bit of mafia influence, but mostly the casinos were run by locals.  The money made was used to pay off people on the state level but mostly stayed local. 

I enjoyed this book that covers the time AFTER medicine came along enough that people stopped believing the hot springs could fix all ailments and how the town reinvented itself from America's spa to America's gambling HQ. An interesting look at a scrappy small city.